Tips on buying new hardware for your cabinets

Trey Teichelman

Tips on buying new hardware for your cabinets

The best and quickest way to revitalize a room is with paint. It’s amazing what fresh paint can do. But, don’t stop there – especially if you’re thinking of selling your home.

Simply changing the hardware on kitchen and bathroom cabinetry will complement those freshly-painted walls and make the room look complete.

Best of all, it’s inexpensive and there are a multitude of choices in color, finish and shape.

What to look for when shopping

What style is the room? Especially in the kitchen, keep the style of the hardware the same as the style of the room.

For instance, in a contemporary kitchen you’ll want hardware that is minimally ornamental – streamlined and simple. If you have stainless steel appliances, consider a similar finish for the knobs and pulls.

Is the hardware comfortable to use? Don’t be shy – grab them as if they were connected to a drawer or cupboard to ensure they’re the right size for you and comfortable to use.

Keep proportion in mind. Tiny knobs on a large cupboard won’t cut it.

“A good rule of thumb for traditional or transitional style pulls is that they should be about one-third of the length of the cabinet drawer,” suggests the experts at Meridian Homes, and “more contemporary designs call for longer pulls that are at least two-thirds of the length of the drawer or cabinet door.”

They go on to say that if drawers measure more than 18 inches in width, you may one to use more than one knob or pull.

Finish is as important as style. There are so many finishes from which to choose, it may be as challenging as choosing the style of hardware.

As mentioned earlier, stainless steel is ideal for most contemporary kitchens while brass or pewter is better suited to traditional rooms. Get an idea of the many hardware finishes at theknobbery.com.

Where to shop

Yes, the big-box department stores typically carry a large assortment of cabinetry hardware, but if you’re looking for something different, there are many other options, online. I

n fact, you can shop those big box home improvement stores online as well. Lowe’s and Home Depot both carry cabinet hardware.

Knob Depot

We love this site for the sheer simplicity of its search function. You won’t have to scroll through page after page of hardware because you can narrow your search by a number of criteria. Search by room, by finish, diameter and more. Start your search at knobdepot.com.

Jet

Jet.com offers an interesting and eclectic selection of knobs and pulls. Not the least expensive of the bunch, but if you’re looking for something specific, you may find it here.

Hayneedle

We love the Velocity Cabinet Knob (and the price too!) but Hayneedle has many other styles from which to choose. Prices run from quite reasonable to rather expensive. We also like that we can narrow the search according to shape, finish and size. Check out the knobs and pulls at hayneedle.com.

Wayfair

If you have money to burn, check out the high-end hardware at wayfair.com. For a smidge more than $253, you can purchase a beveled-glass knob (screw not included!) and, for much less (but still pricey) Mother of Pearl or Swarovski crystal beauties. At the lowest end of the price scale you’ll find basic plastic and wood knobs for as low as $1.29.